Prostitution of Children and Child Prostitutes

PROSTITUTIONProstitution is defined as the act, practice or profession of offering the body for sexual relations for money. (New Webster’s Dictionary 1995:802). The Encyclopedia Americana (1997) defined prostitution as “the performance of sexual acts with another person in return for the payment of a fee.” Child prostitution is therefore, prostitution embarked upon by children who are below the age of 18 and are supposed to be catered for by their parents. It is commonly acknowledged that acts of prostitution are performed by women for men nevertheless occasions arise when the acts are done by men for men. The context of this work deals particularly with female child prostitution. UNICEF considers child prostitutes as young girls in sex trade, who are between the age bracket of 8 and 16. (Jubilee Action Report 1995). In the Nigerian milieu, prostitutes below the age of 18 are regarded as child prostitutes, since only persons above 18 years of age are statutorily regarded as adults. Child prostitution is the “sexual exploitation of girls and teenagers” (Awake February 8, 2003:6). Available data show that approximately 1.5million children in India, 1 million in Asia, 100,00 children in United States and 500 children in Latin America are engaged in prostitution (Healy, 1995:35). Awake (February 8,2003:2) reported,“there were about 300,000 child prostitutes on the streets, in another land where drug trafficking flourishes”. According to Jubilee Action report (1995:10), up to 1 million female children join prostitution each year around the globe. However, the clandestine nature of child prostitution makes it impossible to calculate the exact number of working prostitutes, nonetheless the International Labour Organization (ILO) analysis (1993-1994), estimates that between 0.25% and 1.5% of the total female population are engaged in this trade. Globally, child prostitution is illegal and it is also regarded as a barbarous crime, yet it persists. Why? Child prostitution does not just happen. It is caused by a variety of factors some are perpetrated by the prostitutes themselves, while other factors are external to the prostitutes themselves. This is really a growing problem in developed world and developing world like Nigeria (Quintanilla, 1997:20).

CAUSES OF CHILD PROSTITUTION IN Owerri Municipal Council1. Misery and POVERTY: Poverty is the most common reason why most families sell the services of their female children to augment their income in order to buy food or clothes and other necessities of life. (Janssen, 2001:10). The case of child labour is a typical factor that exposes children to prostitution. The hired female children are sent out to hawk food items on the streets, motor parks, and mechanic garages thereby exposing them to rapes as well as sexual harassment s. Barnes H.C. (1959:95) observed that some females take to prostitution due to sheer destitution. Awake (February 8,2003:5) reported that some street children resort to prostitution because they see it as their only means of survival. The Awake further related an experience of a mother of 14-year-old girl who lured her daughter into this ignominious trade. The woman said about her daughter, “she was beautiful and that men would like her very much. Besides, she would earn a lot of money.” In the evenings, the woman takes her daughter to a motel where they make contacts. The mother stays nearby to receive the payments. Each night, this girl has sex with three or four men. 2. UNEMPLOYMENT:

Unemployment of either the parents or the child results in unreliable source of income thereby forcing children into prostitution as an alternative means of income to support the family. Ironically, the International Labour Organization observes that a child’s ability to earn money is limited. It is estimated that the money earned by the child only contributes to approximately 10% of the family’s overall income and therefore has minimal effect on the family’s monetary...

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

...Like other forms of child sexual abuse, Childprostitution is not only a cause of death and high morbidity in millions of children, but also a sickening violation of their rights and dignity. Both boys and girls can be prostituted and, according to reports, some are as young as 10 years old. Most of these children are exploited by local men, although some are also prostituted by pedophiles and foreign tourists. Investigators estimate the number of children exploited by prostitution is highest in India with estimates between 400,000 and 575,000; Brazil is second with estimates between 100,000 and 500,000; the US is third with 300,000 children; and in fourth place is Thailand and China with 200,000 children each.
In regards to illnesses millions of children are infected with sexually transmitted diseases, have abortions, attempt suicide and are raped each year. In parts of Southeast Asia, between 50 and 90% of children rescued from brothels are infected with HIV.
Looking at India's problem with sex slavery is much more complicated than looking at other Third World countries that have sex slaves. This is because India has roots of sex slavery in its culture, traditions and religion. In many Indian societies, the practice of Devdasi is widely accepted. Devdasi is where young girls are "married" to the "gods" and they...

...Background of the Study
The Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, ChildProstitution and Child Pornography to the Convention on the Rights of the Child defines childprostitution as a commercial sexual exploitation of children whereby a child sells his or her body for sexual activities in return for remuneration or any other form of benefit provided to the prostitute or to another person (United Nations General Assembly, 2000).
According to worldwide estimations by the International Labor Organization, out of the 12.3 million people victim to forced labor, 1.39 million are victims of commercial sexual exploitation, 40-50% of who are children (ILO, 2004).
Nowadays, we have an increasing rate of childprostitution that is still considered as the worst form of child labor in Asia. UNICEF estimates that 1 million children are lured into sex trade in Asia every year. These children are exploited by local men and foreign tourists having an average of 5 to 10 clients per day, generating $5 billion per year wherein 40% were sold by parents and 15% by their relatives (Willis, 2002).
Japan and South Korea had been two of many Asian countries that currently face the problem of childprostitution. Together with its increasing...

...ChildProstitution Around the World
Young innocent children in various parts of the world find themselves engaged in commercial exploitation with an older males or sometimes females. Often the children find themselves in this situation after being sold by a relative for money as a result of intense poverty, “other young people are recruited into prostitution, pressure from parents, or through deceptive agreements (justice.org). I am very determined to fight this growing problem by educating those who are unaware of this issue by starting a Facebook page. By doing this, I maybe able to stop a predator from committing this sick crime against a child. I will also set a goal for myself to start an organization that will trick and catch a predator. I strongly believe that no child should be tricked, sold, kidnapped, and forced into a dangerous life style where they are victimized through exploitation.
Childprostitution is become a growing problem worldwide. Even though law enforcements are getting involves and managing to rescue many children, some are still being abused and explored. When an operation was put to action, many children were rescued and many suspected pimps also got arrested. “The operation was a big success. 885 people were arrested as suspects, 99 pimps were also arrested, and 69 children...

...Causes and Effects of ChildProstitution
Lee Say Hong
Help University
Outline
I. Introduction
A. Opener: Childprostitution means a form of child sexual abuse involving the commercial sexual exploitation of children in which a child performs the services of prostitution, for financial benefit.
B. Thesis Statement: This essay showing about the causes and effects of childprostitution.
II. There is some causes that mainly cause childprostitution to occur.
A. Misery and poverty is the main cause of childprostitution.
B. Poor education in some countries also a cause of childprostitution.
C. Deception also encourages prostitution.
III. There is also some effects that cause by the childprostitution.
A. Children that involved in prostitution have impact in mental and physical development
B. Children that are prostitutes will have very high chances to get HIV/AIDS infection.
C. Many children do not have chances for education.
IV. Conclusion
Children are not a toy for men, they are also human being. So, we need to stop child...

...Fighting Against ChildProstitutionChildprostitution is a prominent and apparent problem in many countries. Today, ten million children worldwide are part of the sex industry in some form and every year the number of children becoming prostitutes is increasing. Then why the government or people are not trying to stop the prostitution, but only the number of childprostitution is increasing? A controversial issue is whether people should fight against childprostitution. I believe that we should fight against childprostitution and try to prevent it. From my point of view prostitution is harmful for the child’s health and emotions that affects his/her future. Most of the children live with the hope to have a beautiful family and children in the future. Children should have a chance to live a happy and successful life; however, the prostitution will never help them to reach these goals. Prostitution is damaging to children because it leads to the behavioral, emotional and social problems.
Childprostitution has a tremendous effect on the child’s health, behaviors and emotions. This is a cause that may result negative effects in the physical,...

...
Children as Chattels Close your eyes. Imagine a young girl about six tied to a bed in a brothel and forced to service fifteen to thirty men in one night. Imagine this girl living in poverty, after all promises of selling herself told of riches. Now imagine this girl is your own. These are not pretty thoughts, but these actions are commonplace in Asia. In the February 1995 issue of World & I, Christopher P. Baker discusses his findings in the article, Kiddy Sex-Luring the Tourist for Love Beneath the Palms. In Asia more than half of the working prostitutes are under the age of 16, many of those are under the age of ten. Most people who hear the staggering statistics, just like me, ask why. There are many answers, and none of them could possibly justify the sexual exploitation of children. Many tourists and locals for that matter think that children will be less likely to carry the AIDS virus, which is a misconception. It is estimated that 72.4% of the childprostitutes in Asia carry HIV. Many Asian men also believe that sex with a virgin will rejuvenate them, and that sex with a virgin will cure venereal disease. Many different countries have been promoting the brothels by selling child sex tours. Police also keep their information about brothels and pimps quiet, making Asia a prime pedophile playground. Pedophiles who find the laws in their countries too strict can go off...

...150,000 Filipina women have been trafficked into prostitution in Japan. (Press Statement, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association, “Open sale of little girls at Tanbaza brothel,” Daily Star, 2 July 1998)
150 Filipinas were sold into prostitution to night club operators in African countries, particularly Nigeria. The women were bought for $5,000 each by international syndicates. Four Filipinas were rescued by the Philippine Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria after they sought help from officials. (Bureau of Immigration, Lira S. Dalagin, “150 Pinays sold as sex slaves in Africa,” Manila Chronicle, 31 May 1995)
In 1991, Filipinas were being sold in Japan, often to the Yakuza, at $2,400 to $18,000 each. (CATW – Asia Pacific, Trafficking in Women and Prostitution in the Asia Pacific)
In 1996, 492 of 3,776 reported cases of child abuse involved pornography, prostitution, paedophilia and trafficking. There were 8,335 cases of child abuse from 1991-1996, 96% of the victims were females. (Department of Social Welfare and Development, “375,000 Filipino Women & Kids Are Into Prostitution,” PhilippineDaily Inquirer, 26 July 1997)
Philippine women are vulnerable to trafficking due to the Asian economic crisis. Requests for entertainer visas for Japan did not decline in the first six months of 1998. Travel to Japan increased 21% in the first half of this year compared with the same...